Time for Connecticut to abolish death penalty

Thanks to the leadership of Governor Richardson and the New Mexico legislature, the state of New Mexico has abolished the death penalty.

Not surprisingly, there is a growing trend away from the death penalty as New Mexico has joined New York and New Jersey as the third state in two years to abolish it.

The death penalty puts innocent lives at risk, which is the main reason given by Governor Richardson for signing the repeal legislation.

Equally as important, repeal of the death penalty is a victory for murder victims' families. Now they can avoid the added pain of going through the seemingly endless legal process associated with the death penalty.

The sponsor of New Mexico's repeal legislation also sponsored legislation to provide restitution to victims' families. Any abolition bill must include this provision for the benefit and healing of surviving family members.

Connecticut continues to spend at least $4 million a year on this wasteful practice, according to an estimate by the
General Assembly
's
Office of Fiscal Analysis
. Experts arrived at a similar estimate for the cost of New Mexico's death penalty.

It is time for Connecticut to join those states that have legislatively abolished the death penalty.

Murder victims' family members urge Connecticut lawmakers to follow New Mexico's lead. The Rev.
Walter Everett
, who lost his son to murder in 1987, recently stated: "The money saved by abolishing the death penalty could be well used for programs to meet the needs of victims' families."